Another charge was added against the suspect in an Oct. 6 assault near Beaumont Tower and West Circle Drive.
Jason H. Evans was first charged with felonious assault with a dangerous weapon. The additional charge of unlawful imprisonment was added during a preliminary examination Tuesday in East Lansing’s 54-B District Court.
Prosecutors also requested Evans’ bond be increased from $50,000 to $500,000. He is being held in the Ingham County Jail.
Evans reportedly approached a 19-year-old student at about 2 a.m. while she was walking from the Main Library to Campbell Hall. He held a pocket knife to her neck, but fled when two man approached the scene.
The victim did not report any injuries, MSU police Sgt. Florene McGlothian-Taylor said when the assault was reported.
Evans, if convicted of both charges, will be considered a habitual offender, McGlothian-Taylor said.
“He’s got a record,” defense attorney Alan Bloomfield said. “But whether he ends up being charged as a habitual criminal remains to be seen.”
The charge of unlawful imprisonment carries a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison. If the defendant is a habitual offender, the sentencing could be extended to life in prison, Ingham County Chief Assistant Prosecutor Linda Maloney said.
But the defendant’s criminal background should not be taken into account until after the trial, she said.
“Habitual is not a charge; it can only be taken into account after the conviction,” Maloney said.
“The only thing it can do is enhance the sentencing.”
The case will now be moved to the Ingham County Circuit Court.
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